Each member of Congress is elected by the people of his or her own state. Which of the following is the primary duty of these elected officials?
Question 1 5 pts
Each member of Congress is elected by the people of his or her own state. Which of the following is the primary duty of these elected officials?
| Administer the law |
| Interpret the law |
| Write, debate, and pass bills |
| Oversee the enforcement of laws |
Question 2 5 pts
A system was established by the U.S. Constitution, which keeps any one branch of government from assuming too much power over the other branches. Which of the following is the correct term for this system?
| Checks and balances |
| Executive orders |
| Constitutional law |
| Legal precedents |
Question 3 5 pts
Statutory law refers to laws enacted by state or federal legislatures. Individual laws in this body of law are called statutes. How do these statutes begin?
| As city ordinances |
| As amendments |
| As bills |
| As common law |
Question 4 5 pts
Practicing medicine without a license is an example of a violation of which of the following types of law?
| Criminal |
| Civil |
| Administrative |
| Common |
Question 5 5 pts
A nurse finds out that another nurse is stealing the possessions of residents of a long-term nursing facility, but does not say anything to anyone about the crimes. What is the term for the nurse who does not act on knowledge of these crimes?
| Defendant |
| Proxy |
| Accessory |
| Tortfeasor |
Question 6 5 pts
A physician who owns a physician’s office is legally responsible for her employees. What is the term for this responsibility?
| Liable |
| Duty of care |
| Confidentiality |
| Privileged communication |
Question 7 5 pts
A physician treating patients in a long-term care facility determines that a patient has a communicable disease that could cause an outbreak in the facility. The physician works with the administrator of the facility and the public health department to protect other residents and employees from exposure to the disease. Under some state laws, this physician is obligated to protect nonpatients in accordance with which of the following standards?
| Standard of care |
| Duty of care |
| Reasonable person standard |
| Performance standard |
Question 8 5 pts
In many states, revocation of a physician’s license may occur due to which of the following acts?
| Informal consultations with other physicians |
| Disclosing patient information to a third party |
| Breach of confidence |
| Failure to maintain procedure manuals |
Question 9 5 pts
Which of the following is the basis for professional malpractice claims and the most common liability in medicine?
| Negligence |
| Breach of confidentiality |
| Unsafe workplace conditions |
| Spread of communicable diseases |
Question 10 5 pts
A surgeon removes the wrong limb from a patient. Which of the following four Ds of negligence refers to the current condition of the patient?
| Duty |
| Dereliction |
| Direct cause |
| Damages |
Question 11 5 pts
A physician assistant (PA) is constantly updating his knowledge and skills by attending in-services and seminars. This PA is practicing which of the “4 Cs of medical malpractice prevention?”
| Caring |
| Communication |
| Competence |
| Charting |
Question 12 5 pts
A report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists Committee on Professional Liability stated that one of the most common reasons patients start legal proceedings is due to which of the following?
| Financial needs of the injured/family |
| Need for respect and self-worth |
| Cover ups of the adverse events |
| Communication failures between physicians and patients. |
Question 13 5 pts
In which of the following types of defenses to professional liability suits is informed consent one of the most important elements?
| Contributory negligence |
| Comparative negligence |
| Denial |
| Assumption of risk |
Question 14 5 pts
A medical malpractice lawsuit has been decided under the doctrine of res judicata. What does this Latin term mean?
| “The thing speaks for itself.” |
| “The statute of limitations is up.” |
| “The tortfeasor has been released.” |
| “The thing has been decided.” |
Question 15 5 pts
What is the most common amount of time allowed for filing legal actions, including collections, damages for child sexual abuse, retaining of medical records, wrongful death claims, medical malpractice, and many other causes of action?
| 1 year |
| 2 years |
| 3 years |
| 4 years |
Question 16 5 pts
Medical records are often subpoenaed for court trials. Which of the following is true regarding the use of medical records as evidence?
| If there is no entry in the medical record it cannot be presumed that it was not done. |
| Records for legal purposes must be kept on paper. |
| Medical records do not prevail over a patient’s recollection of events during a trial. |
| What is omitted from the record may be as important to the trial as what is included. |
Question 17 5 pts
Which of the following should not be included in a patient’s medical record?
| Personal judgments |
| Times of arrival for appointments |
| Social security number |
| Driver’s license information |
Question 18 5 pts
Under which of the following circumstances should a separate consent form be obtained to use patient images?
| When they will be used for teaching purposes. |
| When they will be used to document routine care. |
| When they will be used to document a new procedure. |
| When they will be used to document before and after patient conditions. |
Question 19 5 pts
A hospital maintains medical records on all patients who are treated. Who owns the information contained in the medical record?
| The hospital |
| The treating physician |
| The patient |
| The nurse |
Question 20 5 pts
Which of the following occurs with the medical record when a patient transfers to another physician?
| The original medical record is sent to the new physician. |
| The patient signs an authorization to release his or her records to the new physician. |
| A new medical record is started that does not contain the old record information. |
| The old medical record is destroyed. |
